Conte questions Man Utd over £25.4m transfer: ‘I didn’t believe that it could happen’
Napoli head coach Antonio Conte struggled to believe that Man Utd sold Scottish midfielder Scott McTominay to the Serie A side.
The Red Devils allowed McTominay to join Napoli for €30m (£25.4m) in the summer of 2024 with the Scot winning the Serie A title in his first season in Italy.
McTominay contributed 12 goals and four assists in 34 appearances as Napoli won their second Scudetto in three years, while Man Utd struggled to a 15th-placed finish in the Premier League.
And former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Conte struggled to believe that Man Utd would allow “fantastic player” McTominay to leave the club.
Conte said: “I knew him when he played with Manchester United because I coached two times in England.
“I saw great potential in this player and was [asking] why Scott McTominay is not dominant in England because he has great potential.
READ: Next Man Utd manager: Ranking Amorim’s replacements puts Southgate second
“When the possibility happened to sign him for Napoli, honestly in the first moment I didn’t believe that it could happen. It happened and now he is enjoying it.
“For a player like him, he was born in Manchester United and there is a point in your career and life where maybe you need to change and to try another experience. It happened with us and we are really, really happy because we are not only talking about a fantastic player but a fantastic man.”
Man Utd could have also made another mistake by allowing Rasmus Hojlund to join Napoli on loan, with an option to buy, over the summer transfer window.
Conte added: “I knew Rasmus because he played with Atalanta and then he came to Man United. In my opinion we are talking about a player with great potential and he is only 22, so he has a whole career ahead of him.
MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Amorim sack pay-off ‘eye-watering’ for Man Utd but Chelsea have paid six axed managers more
👉 Manchester United top scorers against Big Six: Fernandes draws level in joint-third
👉 Kobbie Mainoo is crushing Ruben Amorim in fight for Manchester United future
“When we spoke with him, I felt he was really happy to get this new experience and he said he was ready and wanted to play for me and for Napoli.
“He has great potential and now it’s up to me to improve him and to grow and to become a really, really top striker. Whether they come from the Premier League or any other championship, the important thing is that the players who arrive or come onto the pitch can give something.
“Hojlund didn’t have much luck or a great experience in the last couple of years at Man United.
“He is a 22-years-old who has a whole career in front of him. He’s shown that he has so much potential and so many things that I need to work on to try and implement even more and make them even better.”
